SEO Content Strategist

Job Description

About The Role:

A creative, analytical thinking to manage Vice News search strategies and optimization efforts, helping writers and editors create content that drives organic traffic and builds Vice News' authority in the publishing space. This person would act as both an editor and a strategist, doing hands-on optimization edits for news content while pitching and creating content strategies for Vice News Editorial. S/he would train and inform best practices and strategies that promote strong storytelling with an increase in SEO traffic, search visibility and keyword ranking for Vice News. T his person is knowledgeable in journalism best practices, search optimization and user experience, data analysis, VMG content and the media industry as a whole. S/he follows the news closely and is knowledgeable on current events. S/he understands both data and web-writing and is able to motivate and train the editorial team and lead us to success.

What you'll do:
• Guide Vice News writers on SEO and UX best practices to maximize search visits on news stories
• Create SEO strategies to maximize organic traffic for Vice News
• Elevate Vice News' presence in Google search as a resource for and an authority on world news
• Do hands-on optimization for stories published in Vice News and reoptimize old content, as needed
• Identify up-and-coming moments to pre-plan search content around news events
• Pitch news stories and advise writers on the best way to execute stories to maximize traffic: you should be enough of an expert on the news to pitch content that makes sense in a way that captures user search
• Create content strategies for live events and big news moments as they unfold, pitching and optimizing content in real time
• Continue our search growth - aiming for 10% YoY search growth for Vice News
• Teaching our best practices to the Vice News teams - this person should be able to really communicate how the search best practices and quality of editorial work go hand in hand.
• Identify areas of growth and new opportunities for writers
• Pitch content with an eye towards search, providing recommendations for evergreen and timely keywords and topics, creating strategies to gain authority in topics
- success will be measured in organic traffic and meeting monthly numerical goals
• Find new opportunities to maximize SERP for strategic topics/keywords
• Work with the SEO and Insights teams to analyze and communicate metrics related to search traffic a nd keyword performance to the larger editorial team
• Assist the SEO Team with pitching editorial content to divisions of VMG Digital - Vice Culture & Life, Vice News, Munchies, Motherboard, Refinery29, Unbothered around big news moments when relevant

Requirements:
• Candidate must have 4+ years of hands-on SEO experience, including keyword research, content optimization, link building, and knowledge of on- and off-page SEO best practices
• Candidate should have experience using Google Analytics and other data analytics platforms
• Candidate must be a team player who is enthusiastic, adaptable to change, very organized, and skilled at multitasking
• Candidate should have experience in journalism best practices and ethics
• Someone with experience both in digital-writing or working with a digital editorial team and experience in data analysis and research.
• Adept in technology and web applications (Excel, Parse.ly, SEMrush, Google Analytics, and Webmaster Tools will be used frequently in this role)
• Experience working within a news organization or as a journalist is a plus
• Affinity and knowledge in news and world events; we want someone who follows the news and politics closely

To be successful here you are:
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high volume team
• Someone who enjoys problem-solving in an ever-changing environment
• Ready to take on more work and assist others
• Someone patient who is confident in their ability to teach SEO to others
• Willing to work the occasional night or weekend when a big news moment is happening (i.e.: election night or debates)

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rew381-13-58-197-26-42 in your application.